Lindemans Shiraz

LINDEMANS BIN 50 SHIRAZ 2007

Lindemans is one of South Eastern Australia's oldest and largest winemakers. For a couple of decades now it has been just about my favorite budget brand in the world. For as cheaply and readily available its basic products are, their wines are remarkably consistent. The base price of their standard line of wines is around £7, but they are usually on offer at one of the supermarkets for around £4.
That's what I paid for this bottle, the 2007 Bin 50 Shiraz from Sainsburys.

Like a lot of Australian producers that produce wines in mass quantities, Lindemans wines are probably as much a work of science as they are of art. The wine making process is fairly standardized and there is a lot of effort made to do things track the temperature of the vineyards where the grapes are growing in order to achieve a consistently good yield of wine. The wines are blended to be drinkable upon release rather than to benefit from further aging.

This doesn't sound like the type of methodology that is very promising to make a quality bottle of wine, but year in and year out I end up being impressed by Lindemans wines.
Maybe not blown away, but I am consistently satisfied with their products and find them more than adequate as an everyday tipple. Shiraz is full bodied red varietal that is grows well in Australia, and of which the 2007 Bin 50 from Lindemans is perfectly nice example.

THE GRAPE

This grape is known as Syrah in France and Shiraz in Australia.
The grape is thought to be named for a city in Persia (Shiraz) where it probably originated. It produces full rich wines of intense colour and flavour.
The grape was introduced to Australia in 1832, it is now the most widely planted red grape variety in Australia where it is sometimes blended with Cabernet Sauvignon or occasionally with Mourvedre.

WHERE'S IT FROM?

In South Eastern Australia, with significant proportions from Sunraysia, Padthaway and Coonawarra.

THE WINE

The nose changes a bit as the wine opens.
The initial aroma upon pouring is peppery, with a light herbal content and an astringent twinge.
As it sits in the glass, more and more fruit comes out, first plums and then strawberries. The colour in the glass is a deep, inky red. The label proclaims this bottling to have an ABV of 13.5%, but it doesn't really taste that strong.
The taste is pleasing. The pepper is right there in the foretaste, giving way to a satisfying mouthful of fruit and a good lingering finish.

As was the case with the scent of the wine, the taste of the fruit lightens from plums to berries as the wine takes in the air. This vintage exerts the same quality I expect from Lindemans, but it is much lighter in body and the tannins are even smoother than usually.

Again, I have to question the 13.5% figure. I would guess there is more like a 12% alcohol content to this wine than the cited figure, but that's fine--ABV is only important if you are trying to get drunk, the way I see it.

The 2007 Lindemans Bin 50 Shiraz is, as usual, a great value for the price.

It isn't a special bottle of wine, but it is heads and tails above most wine made at such a low price . It is lighter bodied wine than I expected, and can be paired with lighter foods in addition to the usual assortment of meats.

FOOD MATCHES

What foods will this wine go well with?

This wine is big enough to handle steaks, lamb and game with ease.
It is also good with pasta, spicy, chocolate and - naturally - chocolate!

IN CONCLUSION

This is a good red wine at a decent price.

Cheers!